THE STAGE IN SYDNEY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 33, 8 February 1930, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE STAGE IN SYDNEY.

PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

(By a Correspondent.)

• ' SYDNEY, January 24. Two new plays for Sydney to, «ramence the New Year well. Probacy "Journey's 'End" will be the best of ti« pXK«, and it will J^-53 to see if. Sydney appreciate the play that lias had world's appreciation. liQwever, is very apt to laugh at the wrong moment, and to stay in . numbers from anything Wl * h M®?,? note of tragedy. But there is no telling' The play will be the attraction of next Saturday's matinee, and the <^, remain the same as in New. Zealand.

"New Moon" will rise on Saturday, too, and Lance Fairfax will he the man in it He is rehearsing steadily, but has not appeared in the revival, of "Desert Song," as he has been suffering from a relaxed throat, and it'was not thought wise to work him day and nieht. Leo Darnton lias filled the bill most capably, and with a better singing voice than the elegant Lance, though lacking his romantic figure.

Alfred Frith, in the part of his life —he says so liimself-is holding down his end' of the stick at the Grand Opera House and audiences are turning up m lar<*e . enough numbers to keep tnas indtarubber smile on his face. He Ml well backed by Agatha kentisli, a charming English actress, in the next best comedy part. "Money From Honie may go on to New Zealand, later tns season here continues to be as good as it is at present for a reasonable time.

E. J. Tait is negotiating to bring out Yehudi Mehunin, the twelvaiyear-old violinist, -who has astonished the world. This should be the musical contribution of this firm for the, year 1930. • Florence Austral and her liueband, John Amadio, will be coming under contract to E. J. Carroll towards the end of May.

AI Fisher, the new ballet master of the' J. C. Williamson management, will ehortly be going to America once more to see the pieces-that E. J. Tait has bought for Australia. He really ought to have a season's ticket between here and U.SA., for this will be. his third trip in about two years. He is an enterprising up-to-the-minute young man, who likes to know the latest thing in steps and then add a bit of his own to them. . .. v.

"The Babes in the Wood" is pantomiming gaily at the . Grand Opera House in the afternoons only, and is the only pantomime Sydney has except those diminutive shows that have brightened the shops during Christmas shopping days. At one of thes© Bertie Wright has been the first clown and has been supported by a number of quite capable actors who have not been'able to get work in the regular, theatres owing to bad times. -